A banana-shaped heel is an unusual place to look for evidence of consumer spending discipline. But in luxury retail, financial restraint can apparently come with very adventurous footwear. There’s growing interest in eccentric designer shoes as shoppers seek alternatives to handbags costing more than $5,000,...
Somewhere, someone has decided that a drawer containing 171 eyeballs is worth $2,640. Presumably, they’ve also decided where to put it. The early 20th-century German prosthetic glass eyes sold at Potter & Potter’s Oct. 1 auction after 11 bids, according to the auction house’s listing. The...
The economy has a growing collection of oddly named consumers. One has two incomes, no children and a dog. Another earns plenty but has yet to build much wealth. A third is old enough to remember dial-up internet and young enough, apparently, to spend heavily...
New York City has found a new use for the tap card: opening a public toilet. The city is installing 17 modular bathrooms across its five boroughs. Visitors can unlock a door with a text message, QR code, app or card. The bathrooms are free, which may...